


Ryan's Jaw

by fandom_susceptible



Category: High School Musical (Movies)
Genre: As in they're adults, Basically I read a fic where Ryan was raped in high school and was inspired, Because there's not enough established Chyan, Chad is the best fiance, Established Relationship, F/M, He watches Boi, How Do I Tag, I don't see enough adult Chyan fics, I don't want to give away the whole story, I'm Bad At Titles, M/M, Non-graphic recovery, Oh he drives Sharpay to the hospital, Peyton is a good boyfriend, Slow recovery, That's literally all he does in this fic, There's a hospital stay involved, hurt ryan, like majorly hurt, non-graphic mentions of rape, sharpay is a good sister
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-05 01:03:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11002713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandom_susceptible/pseuds/fandom_susceptible
Summary: “Oh my God.” Greg Marshall exclaimed, running the few steps to the prone body’s side.  The glittering hat beside him told him instantly who it was, though Ryan’s face was too bruised and shadowed to make it obvious.On his way out of the theater one night, Ryan is attacked and raped.  How does he handle it?  And how do Sharpay and Chad react?The rape plays a big part, but it is not portrayed.  The story begins with his being found and focuses on his recovery.





	1. "That was the hospital."

**Author's Note:**

> I see a disturbing lack of established Chyan fics, so I decided to rectify that. In my mind, Chad came to terms with his bisexuality in college (thanks to a lovely fic called "Prompts From Wihtout" by Tonko in this very site, I will be asking if I can use some elements of their story in later fics). He and Ryan reconnected at an informal five year reunion at Troy's. Chad remained friends with Troy and Ryan with Gabriella. Troyella married basically out of college. I'll probably write that later, but long story short, this is set nine years after graduation. Chad is an NBA player, Ryan is a singer/dancer/actor/director who pitched and directed High School Musical, and after they reconnected they began dating and they are now engaged.

     “Oh my God.” Greg Marshall exclaimed, running the few steps to the prone body’s side.  The glittering hat beside him told him instantly who it was, though Ryan’s face was too bruised and shadowed to make it obvious. “Okay, Mr. Evans, if you can hear me I’m just looking for your phone so I can call your sister.” He said, already dialing 911 with the other hand.

     He felt sick as he followed the operator’s instructions.  He almost vomited, looking for Ryan’s phone; he _knew_ a human being’s side should not cave in like that.

     The arrival of the ambulance was a relief.

 

     “Hold on Peyton.” Sharpay answered her phone. “Hello, Sharpay Evans.” She said cheerily.  Her eyes widened and her mouth came open. “What?  Why?” Another pause and the phone dropped from her hand.  She stood still, shellshocked, for a moment, one hand over her mouth.

     “Sharpay?” Peyton picked up her phone for her.  He tilted his head curiously as Boi whined. “Sharpay, what is it?” He awkwardly looked from her to her phone.

     She snatched it back. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” She said and hung up. “That was the hospital.  Ryan’s there.  He’s in the emergency room.” She picked up Boi. “Let’s go!  I have to go see him and we came in your car!”

     Peyton ran after her.  He’d only met Ryan a few times, but he knew how close Sharpay was to her twin brother.  He hoped Ryan would be okay.

 

     Several hours later, Ryan had been moved to an overnight room.  The doctors had informed Sharpay that he was not in danger of losing his life, but they would want to keep him for a few days anyway.  She was of course allowed to visit, but only in the daytime.  His jaw had been broken and had to be wired shut; between that and damage to his throat, he would be on a liquid diet for several weeks even after he was allowed to leave the hospital.  They would also be prescribing pain medication.

     Now she was sitting beside his bed, holding his hand.  He still hadn’t awoken.  Peyton held Boi quietly across the room; the little dog wanted so badly to come comfort Ryan and Sharpay, but the female twin had put her foot down.  As much as she loved Boi, she knew the tiny dog could seriously hurt Ryan with a paw placed in the wrong spot.

     “Did you ever call your parents?” Peyton asked quietly.

     “Yeah.” Sharpay sniffled and spoke barely above a whisper, not taking her eyes from Ryan’s bruised face. “They’re out of town.  Mom’s going to come back for a day or two, but she’s going to end up leaving it to me to take care of him.” Her spare hand went to touch the cowlick that was usually covered by Ryan’s hats. “We’re adults now, after all.”

     Peyton looked troubled. “Well, sure, you’re adults.” He said hesitantly. “But I can’t believe your parents wouldn’t come back for something this huge.”

     Sharpay gave him a bittersweet little smile. “Ryan and I have been looking out for each other all our lives.  Mom and Dad never really had to.”

     Peyton looked back at Ryan, scratching Boi’s ears. “Isn’t there anyone else you can call?  I mean, this looks like a big job.  Are you sure you can do it on your own?”

     The woman was quiet for a moment, watching Ryan’s chest rise and fall. “So you can’t stay and help?”

     Peyton’s eyebrows shot up. “W-well, I guess I could.  I mean, I don’t have a job to get back to, and it is break.” He admitted. “I just didn’t know if you’d want me to.  I mean, Ryan and I aren’t really that close.  We’re friendly, but we don’t . . . really know each other that well.”

     Sharpay nodded slowly. “I guess . . .” She sighed. “I should call Chad.” She covered her eyes with the hand not gently holding Ryan’s. “Oh, no.  I can’t believe I didn’t think to call him.” Reluctantly she took her hand from her twin’s limp one, biting back tears, and pulled out her phone, dialing the basketball player’s number.

     On the other end, Chad was just on his way out of the locker rooms after a late, friendly game with his teammates when the song _Fabulous_ came from his phone.  Wincing as his teammates snickered, he made a face at them. “It’s my soon-to-be sister-in-law.” He told them, grimacing dramatically. “Yes Sharpay?” He said innocently once he answered. “This isn’t another one of your ‘do this or else’ calls is it?  I just got out of a friendly game with the guys and—and you haven’t talked over me yet, is something wrong?”

     “Yes, something’s wrong.” Sharpay replied, staring at her brother’s face. “Something is very, very wrong, and I need you to come.  More like Ryan needs you to come.”

     “I was about to call Ryan.  What happened?” Chad had stopped walking, brows furrowed as he listened.

     “We don’t know for sure.” Sharpay sounded close to tears. “The doctor thinks he was attacked.  He’s unconscious in the hospital right now.  I’m in the room with him.”

     Chad stood rooted to the spot. “Oh my god.” He whispered. “Is he—Is he going to be okay?  Do you know?”

     “Doctor Lemons said something would have to go really wrong for him to die now, but he’s really hurt.  He won’t be able to talk for weeks—his jaw’s broken.  They wired it closed.” Okay, she was definitely crying.

     As Chad raised a hand to push his curls away from his face, he realized he was too. “Okay, you know what, Sharpay, stop.  I’m on my way.  I’ll talk to a doctor or something there.”

     “Okay.” She said in a small voice.

     Chad hung up.

     “What was that all about, Danforth?” Carson asked.

     Chad glanced at him, biting his lip. “My fiancé’s in the hospital.  Sharpay said they think he was attacked, but he hasn’t woken up to explain yet.” He covered his face for a moment, shoulders shaking, before wiping his eyes and putting his phone back in his pocket. “I’ll see you guys later.” He took off running for the parking lot.


	2. Day One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chad arrives at the hospital. He and Sharpay recover normal brain functions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chad and Sharpay might be a little OOC in this chapter (or possibly the whole fic) but I tried to let them grow into more mature versions of their movie characters. Besides, his fiance and her brother is in the hospital, of course they're a little out of sorts.

     Once Chad reached the hospital, he didn’t stop at the desk.  He followed the signs to the overnight rooms and only then realized Sharpay hadn’t given him Ryan’s room number.  He awkwardly began glancing into rooms, trying to be subtle and knowing he was failing miserably as a security guard took notice of him.

     He saw the flash of pink that was Sharpay first, and knew it must be Ryan’s room.  He started in but was restrained by a hand on his arm. “Where do you think you’re going, Mister.” The guard said coldly. “Family only.”

     “You don’t understand, I need to see him.” Chad protested, too frantic to remember the basketball skills that would have allowed him to duck away long enough to explain.

     “Sorry, sir.  Only family allowed to visit.  Come on.”

     Luckily, Sharpay had overheard and she came running to the door, pushing it open. “Being his fiancé makes him family.” She interrupted. “Let my brother-in-law through!”

     The guard looked surprised, but he let go of Chad. “Sorry, Mister, uh . . .” Chad was already gone, so Sharpay answered for him. “Danforth.  His name is Chad Danforth.” She turned and swept back in.

     Chad, meanwhile, had run for Ryan’s bedside. “Oh my god.” He sank into the chair previously occupied by Sharpay.  He reached over with shaky hands as if to touch him, but hesitated. “Oh, God, Ryan.” Tears streamed down his face.

     Sharpay grabbed another chair and pulled it close to Ryan’s other side. “His hands are okay to touch.” She said softly, sympathizing with Chad’s need to feel him.

     The basketball player gently took Ryan’s hand in both of his.  He kissed it tenderly. “Oh, Ryan.” He choked, touching his forehead to the hand and crying softly. “Oh, Ryan, I’m so sorry I wasn’t there.  I love you so much, please be okay.”

     Sharpay was crying again too, more quietly. “It’s . . .” She swallowed hard. “Oh, Chad, it’s not your fault.”

     “I could have been there with him instead of off playing a stupid game with my buddies.” Chad said angrily.

     Sharpay let him stew for a minute until his shoulders slumped with defeat. “Chad, I don’t blame you.  Ryan won’t either.  He’s . . .” She suppressed a sob of her own. “He’s going to be okay.”

     Chad took a shaky breath and looked at Ryan’s unresponsive face.  Another quiet sob wracked his body and he kissed Ryan’s hand again. “Okay.” He managed to Sharpay a minute later.

 

     Peyton had been in and out with Boi twice when finally a nurse came in to tell them gently that it was time to leave.  They could come back when visitors’ hours started at nine the next morning.  It wasn’t likely that Ryan would wake up tonight, between his previous unconsciousness and the anesthesia, and if he did he probably wouldn’t remember.

    Sharpay was reluctant, but she stood and gathered her bag.  Chad had barely moved, and she put a hand on his shoulder. “He’s going to be okay.” She said again, as much to herself as to him. “Come on, Chad.  We’ll come back tomorrow morning.”

     Chad took a shaky breath and finally nodded.  He pressed one more kiss to Ryan’s hand. “I love you, Ryan.” He whispered before standing up. “Sleep well.” He followed Sharpay woodenly.


	3. What Happened?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan explains what happened and Sharpay is protective.

     The next morning, Sharpay and Chad were both back.  Peyton had agreed to watch Boi for the day back at Ryan’s townhouse, where the three were staying while in Albuquerque.  Sharpay had arrived just a few minutes after nine to see Chad already inside, having taken up his position from the day before.

     She joined him on the other side, not saying a word.

     After a minute Chad seemed to muster the ability to speak. “The nurse said he hasn’t been awake yet.  But he could wake up any time.”

     She nodded quietly. “God.” She said after several more minutes, sounding broken. “I can’t believe this happened.  If it was going to happen to either of us shouldn’t it have been me?  I’ve been a horrible person and Ryan . . .”

     “Hey, hey, hey.” Chad was the more composed one this time. “It’s okay, Sharpay.  He’s going to be fine.  Sometimes bad things happen to really good people.  It’s not fair, it’s not right, but it doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

     She nodded slowly. “I guess.  I just . . . I can’t stand seeing him this way.”

     Their quiet talking seemed just loud enough to wake him.  Ryan blinked blearily and shifted his head, immediately wincing.

     “Ryan!” “Ryan!” It was impossible to tell if his sister or his fiancé had spoken first.  He tried to open his mouth to speak and ended up making a very small, undignified noise of pain, which only hurt his throat.

     “Ssh, baby, it’s okay.” Chad said gently.

     “Don’t try to talk.  Your jaw is broken, so they had to wire it shut to keep it from healing wrong.” Sharpay told him.

     Ryan blinked and his lips turned down at the corners, but he obeyed and kept his voice silent.  He lifted the hand Chad was holding and touched his fiancé’s face; Chad leaned gently into the touch.  His eyes darted back toward Sharpay, brows furrowing.

     “We’ve both been really worried about you.” Sharpay explained softly. “You’ve been here since yesterday.  Peyton’s watching Boi at your house.  You’re going to be okay, Ry.”

      A few minutes later a nurse came in to check on him.  A doctor was called now that he was awake and checked him over as well. “Do you know sign language?” He asked Ryan gently.  The dancer shook his head.

     “Let me.” Sharpay said. “We’re twins.  Sometimes we can understand each other without really saying anything.” She turned her attention back to Ryan, putting a hand over his. “Ryan, they think based on your wounds that you were attacked.” There was a nod. “So he was definitely attacked.” There was a note of anger in her voice.

     “Some of the damage and . . . evidence also indicates that the attack devolved into rape.” The doctor said, as gently as possible.

     Ryan shuddered and winced horribly with the pain.  Sharpay squeezed his hand and Chad kissed the other one. “That’s a yes.” She said bleakly. “Oh Ryan, is that what happened to your throat too?” Another face and she bit her lip. “Yes.” She whispered her own answer. “How many people was it?”

     He carefully held out three fingers. “Men?” A slow nod. “Just once?”

     There was a bitter little smile as he nodded.  His eyes met Sharpay’s and she held his gaze for a moment before she understood. “Oh my god.  You bit him didn’t you—to make him stop.”

     The bitter smirk widened.

     “Serves him right.” Chad muttered. “Deserves worse after doing this to you.” His thumb rubbed over the back of Ryan’s hand.

     The dancer’s smile morphed into a genuine, affectionate one as he looked over at Chad.  Sharpay translated softly, “He wants to say he loves you.”

     “I love you too.” Chad said gently.

     The doctor cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Is there anything else you can tell us?”

     “When?” Sharpay asked. “The security guard, Greg Marshall, he found you.  He didn’t know how long you’d been there.  It was about eight o’ clock.” Watching Ryan’s face and hands closely, she translated slowly, “A while . . . since you left work?  Or, no, they cornered you as you left work.  Okay.  He gets off at seven so probably at least half an hour before Marshall found him and then an hour before you saw him.”

     Ryan winced.

     Chad reached over and brushed a gentle finger over one of the few white, unbruised spots on Ryan’s face. “I’m so sorry.” He whispered. “I love you so much.”

     Ryan squeezed his hand.  Sharpay opened her mouth, but Chad nodded. “N-No, Shar, I got it.” He smiled weakly in response to the silent ‘I love you’.

     The doctor left discreetly after getting the information he had needed.  Chad and Sharpay stayed with Ryan.  It wasn’t long before he drifted back to sleep.  Chad joined him a few minutes later, asleep sitting up, still cradling one white hand in his chocolate brown ones.

     Sharpay watched them quietly.  The last of her animosity toward the basketball player melted away; no matter what, she could tell he loved her brother.  Sure, he was just a basketball player, not the royalty that she and Ryan had always dreamed of, that was truly worthy of her brother’s hand.  But he loved Ryan, as much as she did.

     When a nurse peeked in to check, she pressed a finger to her lips to warn her to be quiet.  The woman nodded and was almost silent as she cleaned up what little had to be cleaned.  Sharpay watched her like a hawk, but she left without waking either man.


	4. Bonding Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sharpay sees affectionate Chad and finally accepts him all the way.
> 
> Song lyrics are taken from the Keith Whitley/Allison Krauss duet "When You Say Nothing At All". Both of them did single versions as well, and all three versions can be found on YouTube.

     It was about an hour later when Chad woke up again, to the noise of a group passing outside.  He shifted in his seat and sat up, shaking his head blearily. “Aw, man.” His voice was soft and he glanced at Ryan anxiously; when he saw the younger man undisturbed he relaxed somewhat.

     “You’ve been asleep for about an hour and a half.” Sharpay said softly so as not to wake Ryan.

     “Sorry.” He murmured back. “I couldn’t sleep last night.” Another glance at Ryan told her why.

     Biting her lip, she asked, “Are you hungry?”

     A glimmer of his crooked, boyish smile came to his face as he looked up at her again. “I’m always hungry.  The question is am I too sick with worry to keep anything down.  Which is a no, not anymore.  Not now that I’ve talked to him.”

     Sharpay smiled, a real, genuine, affectionate smile, at him.

     “Now you’re scaring me.” He said bluntly.

     The smile widened a little before fading. “I’m sorry.  Thank you, Chad Danforth.  I guess I just finally realized I was wrong about you.  You’re not just good enough for Ryan, you are perfect for him.  You really love my brother, don’t you?”

     “Yeah.” He said softly, looking again at the still peacefully-sleeping Ryan. “Yeah, I really, really do, Sharpay.”

     She came around her brother’s bedside. “Friends?” She asked.

     He smiled at her and stood as well, carefully placing Ryan’s hand on the sheets.  He spread his arms in invitation. “Brother and sister?” He countered.

     She grinned. “Brother and sister it is.” They exchanged a hug. “You stay here with Ryan.  I’ll go get some food—not this hospital cafeteria nonsense either.  I’ll be back in a jiff.”

     “See you then.  Thanks, Sharpay.” Chad settled back beside her brother, taking his hand again.  She smiled affectionately over her shoulder as she left.

 

     Sharpay heard the voice before she opened the door and paused.  It wasn’t Ryan, but someone— _Chad_ was singing.  At first her pause was out of surprise, but after a moment she listened to his words; he was singing softly to Ryan.

_All day long I can hear people talking out loud,_  
_but when you hold me near you drown out the crowd._  
 _Old Mister Webster could never define_  
 _what's being said between your heart and mine._

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me._  
_There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me._  
 _A touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall._  
 _Now you say it best when you say nothing at all._

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me._  
_There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me._  
 _A touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall._  
 _Now you say it best when you say nothing at all._

 

    She smiled softly, entering quietly.  She hummed along when he added some gentle vocalizing after the final line. “Hey.” She said, noting that Ryan was awake.

     He was smiling, eyes wet, and his hand was clenched tightly on Chad’s.

     Chad seemed torn between smiling at his fiancé and blushing and hiding from the woman in the room. “Hey, Sharpay.” He said awkwardly. “How—How much did you hear?”

     “The last verse and two bridges.” She replied with a smile. “Don’t be embarrassed with _me_ , Chad.  I’m his sister, you know—I do it too.” She held out a paper bag. “Here.  I bring food.” Suddenly she spotted the tray at Ryan’s side, and the lidded mug on it.

     “A nurse came in and dropped that off for Ryan.” Chad explained, seeing where her attention had gone. “Liquid diet.”

     She sniffed. “Well.” She marched over and removed the straw, ignoring her brother’s look of indignance.  She replaced it with a fresh one, directly from a case in her purse. “There!  That one’s definitely clean!”

     “It’s also pink.” Chad pointed out.

     “Ryan likes pink.”

     “Hot pink.  Pastel pink is your thing.”

     Both twins looked at him in surprise.  Sharpay suddenly grinned. “Oh I’m definitely learning to like you.  You actually paid attention!  Even our parents haven’t caught onto that yet!” She spontaneously hugged him. “But really, it was more about the germ factor.  This is a hospital.  Straws shouldn’t be taken anywhere outside an airtight container.” She threw away the old straw.

     Ryan pointed at her.

     Chad stared at him. “Don’t tell me you agree with her!”

     Both twins just raised their eyebrows at him.

     Chad groaned. “Ryan, I love you, and I will always love you, and I really do look forward to the rest of our lives together, but sometimes I really wonder how we work.  A bisexual basketball player who showers in locker rooms more than home and eats just about anything and dances like an idiot, and a gay actor who will barely touch anything in public without cleaning it and eats almost nothing that isn’t imported and dances like—like I don’t even know what because I’m not a theater nut and none of my very limited experience has shown me anything that beautiful.” He flopped back down in the chair. “How the hell do we even happen?”

     Ryan had been smiling but now his shoulders bent in and he grimaced, breathing harshly, muscles seizing up.  Sharpay rushed to steady him, as did Chad. “Don’t make him laugh!” Sharpay snapped, worry for her brother momentarily overtaking her newfound tolerance of Chad.

     He looked thoroughly ashamed. “I’m so sorry, Ryan.” He said when the other man had steadied.

     Ryan smiled sadly at him again, but gestured to Sharpay.  He made some vague hand gestures and Sharpay made a face. “But—Fine!  Gabriella.”

     “What?” Chad asked, baffled.

     “Your question?  Gabriella Montez, that’s how.  If she hadn’t shown up then Troy would have stayed your little basketball buddy and the baseball game at Lava Springs would never have happened and you two would never have gotten close or bothered to reconnect at the reunion and you might actually still be in the closet.” She rattled off all in one breath.

     Chad glanced at Ryan and chuckled softly. “Remind me to write her a thank-you note when you get better, okay, babe?”

     Sharpay mimed gagging where neither man could see her. “Stop it.  You’re sickening.” She informed the basketball player.

     “So what, I can’t be nice to my fiancé?” Chad challenged.

     “Be nice, be loving, just don’t be so sickeningly sweet in front of me.” She said.

     Chad looked genuinely hurt until Ryan tapped on his arm and smiled, pointing at Sharpay.  Blue eyes rolled and another indistinct gesture was made.  Chad narrowed his eyes, thinking; he wasn’t quite as adept as Sharpay at interpreting Ryan’s signals. “She’s joking?” Ryan nodded and he turned back to Sharpay. “You’re joking?  With me?  Definitely an improvement.”

     “Only half-joking.” She said. “I really don’t need to hear you call him ‘babe’.”

     Chad chuckled and Ryan smiled. “Okay, Sharpay.” Chad stood to give her a little, teasing bow. “No pet names.  I can do that.”

     “Please.” But she smiled at him as she said it.


	5. Banter and Fluff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief reprieve from the heavy emotional stuff. Sharpay and Chad engage in some small talk to help them all start to make the mental recovery, and Ryan teases his sister without speaking.

     A snap of fingers brought Sharpay's attention to Ryan. “Oh, what is it?” He pointed at his drink and then himself. “You want to sit up?” He nodded, wincing just a little. “Chad, help me.” She ordered.

     “No, I’ll help Ryan.” Chad said cheekily, but he did as she directed anyway, gently helping Ryan into a sitting position.  He grabbed his drink.

     Sharpay grabbed her chair and moved it to the same side as Chad so they could eat together.  Ryan watched them for a minute, drinking.  After a while he snapped his fingers again.  He pointed at one, then the other and then spread his hands with a confused expression.

     “Your sister has finally decided that I am worthy of your hand in marriage.” Chad said grandly, giving a bow from his chair.

     Ryan turned his attention to Sharpay, arching an eyebrow and waving a hand in a clear ‘go on’ gesture.

     She gave a long-suffering sigh, but answered anyway, smiling a little. “He fell asleep beside you this morning, holding your hand.” She said quietly. “He said he couldn’t sleep or keep food down last night because he was so worried about you.  I didn’t sleep well either, but I did manage because the doctor had already told us you’d be okay.  And I just . . . the way he was holding your hand, even when he was asleep, it was like you were the most precious thing in the world.” She glanced at Chad.

     He was smiling a little. “To me, he is.” He said softly.

     Sharpay smiled again. “He beat me here this morning, and he must have gotten up early and been waiting in the parking lot when visitor hours opened to manage that.  I guess I just finally saw how much you mean to him, and realize that . . .” She shrugged. “He loves you, Ryan.  He loves you as much as I do.”

     Ryan smiled affectionately at both of them.  He soon made a face and began gesturing again.

     “A pen?” Sharpay handed him a sparkly pink pen.  Chad wordlessly produced a small notebook.

     Ryan wrote furiously in it and then handed it to Sharpay.

     She read it aloud. “I’m glad you two are getting along.  I wish I could speak to you and tell you how much I love you both.  I’m so happy you’re finally seeing what I saw in him, Shar.  And Chad, props on overcoming your fears!” She looked over at Chad. “Fears?  What is he talking about?  Were you afraid of me?”

     “Sharpay, _everyone_ at East High was afraid of you.” Chad said dryly.

     “Not Ryan.” She looked at him for confirmation, only to find him leaning toward Chad with that little smile he wore when he knew he was doing something that would annoy her. “Everyone?”

     “Except the teachers and even a few of those.” Chad confirmed. “And Taylor.  She wasn’t afraid of anyone.” He glanced back at Ryan. “Not that you have anything to worry about, Tay was really more of a friend even when we were supposed to be dating.  Besides, I wouldn’t do that to Kelsi.”

     “Kelsi?” Sharpay looked from one to the other.  Ryan gestured at Chad as he took another sip of his vitamin mix and grimaced.

     Chad looked mildly surprised. “I’m surprised you didn’t know.  Turns out Taylor and I were both bi in high school.  She and Kelsi Nielson are dating now.”

     “Kelsi.” Sharpay said.

     “Yeah.”

     “Kelsi.” She said again, blinking. “Kelsi, that sweet, timid little girl that wrote some songs for us and got into Juilliard with Ryan?  And—Taylor, the obnoxious nerd girl who thought she was better than everyone?”

     Chad rolled his eyes. “Taylor’s nicer than you were back then.  And yeah, they’re apparently together now.”

     “Wow.” Sharpay sat back, brows furrowing. “I really am out of the loop.”

     “Don’t worry.” Chad made as if to lightly punch her in the arm, but thought better of it when she arched a brow at his fist. “You’ll catch up quick.  Jason—the guy that made the rest of us basketball monkeys look like geniuses—is married to Martha, one of the geek clique.  She’s a professional pop singer now.  Troy and Gabriella have had a few rough patches, but they’re still married and probably will be to the end of time.”

     The two chatted for a while about the fates of their high-school and college friends, including Ryan as much as they could until he wrote them a note to tell them to stop it.  He was happy just watching them get along.  He finally went back to sleep, his vitamin smoothie gone.

     Sharpay and Chad simply lowered their voices out of respect and continued to talk.  Both left for a few minutes at a time to use the bathrooms, once for her to call Peyton about Boi and another for him to call his coach about missing practice.

     The doctor eventually rejoined them and said that the next day they’d let him go home, if he got the proper release papers signed by them and Ryan.  He promised a detailed, written instruction on Ryan’s care for after he was released, to be given to them with the papers.  That evening, they settled Ryan in his own bed.

     He patted the place beside him, looking at Chad.  The basketball player looked pained as he shook his head. “You know I can’t, Ryan.  I’m a restless sleeper.  I’d flop an arm over and hurt you.”

     Ryan pouted, and looked at Sharpay.

     “I can’t fix his sleeping habits!” She said, throwing up her hands. “And Ryan, he’s tired too.  He might fall asleep without meaning to.”

     He pouted again, but sympathy overcame it and he grabbed for his pen and notebook again, jotting down a quick message and handing it to Chad.

     Chad smiled after he read it. “That I can do.” He looked at Sharpay. “Is it gonna bother you?” He showed her the pad. “Note says ‘kiss me’.”

     Sharpay made a face but then smiled and waved at him. “Oh, just do it.” She left.

     Chad knelt on the bed to reach him and bent over to kiss him.  He left the contact light at first, hesitant; he didn’t want to aggravate a bruise or the split in his lip.  He felt Ryan pressing harder, however, and relaxed into it, letting Ryan set the pressure.  He drew back when he heard Ryan’s breath catch.

     He stroked the unbruised spot on Ryan’s left cheek. “I love you.  I don’t want to hurt you.  You’re having trouble breathing, I know.  But you’re going to get better.” He kissed Ryan’s knuckles. “Good night, my love.  Sharpay or I’ll be back in about six hours to make sure you take some more painkillers, okay?  I love you.” He turned the light off and a lamp on as he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I know this chapter went a little wonky with the timeline, but I was losing inspiration and so these last few chapters are all going to have some missing or brushed over time. I may come back and add more later to smooth it out, if there's enough demand for it.


	6. "Who did this to you?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sharpay wants answers, and Ryan hates being coddled.

     “Who did this to you.” Sharpay asked, abruptly, her voice cold, as Chad switched the disks in the DVD player; they had just finished _Brother Bear_.

     Ryan looked over at her in surprise.  He winced and huddled deeper into his armchair.  When Sharpay handed him his notepad and pen, obviously set on an answer, he took them with shaking hands and paused before writing anything.

     After inserting _Finding Nemo_ , and pausing it, Chad moved to stand behind and beside him, and gently massaged his shoulders. “It’s okay, baby.” He whispered in Ryan’s ear.

     Ryan unexpectedly flinched, grimacing.  He began to write, and handed the note to Sharpay to read to them.

     “I don’t know.” She read, and her shoulders fell. “It was dark, and I didn’t recognize them.  I couldn’t pick them out of a lineup.” She grimaced. “We’ll never be able to get rid of them if we don’t know who they are!  Oh, that was me, not the note.” Then she shook her head and continued reading. “And Chad, you didn’t . . . okay, that’s just to you.  Here.” She handed it to Chad and moved over to get the menu for the movie queued up.

     Chad read. ‘ _And Chad, you didn’t hurt me, I was just thinking about what happened and then felt another man’s hands on me, and it scared me until I realized who you were._ ’

     He came around to the front of his fiancé and knelt down, putting his hands on Ryan’s knees and his chin on top of them. “I’m sorry, baby.  I wish there was something I could do to make it better.”

     Ryan gave a small, painful smile and wrote something else.  Chad smiled softly as he read it; ‘ _You being here makes it better._ ’ He kissed the white hand gently and left to settle back on the couch by Sharpay.  They had decided it would be better for Ryan’s battered body to have his own seat.

     About half an hour later Chad glanced over at him and questioned that decision.  He leaned over slightly to tap Sharpay’s arm and indicate her brother.  Ryan had curled up into a ball and was rubbing his arms as if cold, though his eyes didn’t leave the screen.

     Chad looked back at the woman questioningly.

     “Ryan?” She asked quietly.

     Ryan looked at her questioningly.

     “Are you cold?  Do you want to come sit with us?” He started to nod but shook his head as she finished.  She started over. “Okay wait so you’re cold,” This time she waited for him to nod. “But you don’t want to come sit over here with us?”

     He pointed at Chad and then indicated the chair.  It wasn’t hard to figure out what he meant.  Sharpay groaned theatrically. “Seriously?  It’s a chair, Ryan, there’s no room for him.”

     Ryan wore his rebellious face, however, and he stood up, wincing—his legs hadn’t broken, after all—and beckoned to his fiancé.  Chad rose and wrapped his arms gently around him, letting Ryan lean on him. “It’s okay, Sharpay.  We’ve cuddled in the chair before.  There’s room for him on my lap if I sit down first.” Then he turned his attention back to Ryan, his voice automatically going softer, even tender. “Hey.  You look dizzy.” At the blue glare, followed by gripping his arms for support, he chuckled softly. “Okay, baby.  You think you can let me pick you up and it won’t hurt?”

     At first Ryan still looked rebellious, but he sighed and nodded.  He reached up and locked his arms around Chad’s neck.  The basketball player leaned over slightly to fully lift the dancer from the floor, bridal style.  He pressed a light kiss to Ryan’s cheek. “Sharpay, would you mind helping me turn the chair and pulling the lever to put up the footrest?  I kind of want to just let him lay down.” He ignored Ryan’s dagger-like glare.

     Ryan’s arms tightened with reproach, but he couldn’t speak, couldn’t sign or write with his hands occupied, and he certainly wasn’t going to try and force his way down—that could only end painfully.  So he suffered the indignation of having things decided for him with no more than a vicious glare at his fiancé.  On one hand, he knew Chad was just trying to help.  On the other, he still resented being ‘put to bed’ as if he were a child.  He’d just said he was cold!  It was probably just a side effect of the stupid painkillers, since Chad and Sharpay seemed fine.  The doctor had said he’d be a little sensitive until he had healed.

     While Ryan was busy stewing, Chad and Sharpay had managed to re-angle the chair and pull out the footrest.  Chad carefully stepped up into it, dropping slowly to his knees to let Ryan back down.  He settled behind the smaller man, body pressed against his back and one hand on his side as the other arm served as a pillow for them both.  He pressed a kiss to the back of Ryan’s neck. “I know you’re not happy.” He whispered, too softly for Sharpay to overhear from the couch. “I know you were just cold and you didn’t want to be picked up and told to lay down.  But Ryan, I’m worried about you.  Please, please, honey, let me take care of you, let me baby you until you’re better.  I feel so bad about not coming to pick you up like you wanted me to.  Let me make it up to you.”

     It felt like a weight off his shoulders to finally confess why he felt so guilty.  Ryan had asked him to come and pick him up from work that night.  He had begged out of it to go play a basketball game with his high-school friends because they were all in town and free for a few days.  And without him there, Ryan had been assaulted.

     He couldn’t see Ryan’s face; the other man had been very still as long as he spoke.  Now Chad felt a cold, cold hand grasp his.  Ryan pressed a kiss to his knuckles and Chad smiled softly, recognizing the silent forgiveness. “Thank you, my love.” He kissed Ryan’s neck again and then shifted to pay attention to the movie, holding him spoon fashion.


	7. Basically Recovery Cuddles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah that's pretty much it, I just wanted them to have some cuddle time. Sharpay and Chad share some affection too.

     “Ryan?” Chad asked gently.

     The two men were curled up together in Ryan’s armchair, Ryan on the larger man’s lap, head resting on his shoulder, knees drawn up to both chests.  Sharpay sat nearby on the couch, looking at them affectionately; she had turned down the volume of the movie when Ryan’s energy started to flag from the painkillers.  They were lighter now, but he still had to use them.

     “Hmm?” Ryan asked, tilting his head back somewhat to look at him.

     “How are you feeling?” Chad shifted his arms somewhat, holding his fiancé.

     “Better now that I can talk and sing again.” Ryan admitted. “Worse in that’s just about all I can do.” While his words implied restlessness, he seemed to snuggle even further into Chad’s arms. “Why?”

     It brought a faint smile to Chad’s lips. “No reason.  I just love the sound of your voice.”

     Ryan didn’t even question his sincerity as he usually did; he must have been tired.  He just settled his head back against Chad’s shoulder and closed his eyes.  Chad held him gently, one arm around his legs, and the other supporting his back.  It wasn’t long before the steady rise and fall of Ryan’s chest told them he was asleep.

     Sharpay smiled once and came over, kissing a finger and laying it on Ryan’s cheek.  She also added a light kiss on the cheek to Chad. “Thank you for caring for him.” She whispered. “I’m going to go see Peyton and Boi for a while.”

     Chad gave her what slight nod he could without disturbing the blond head resting next to his. “Have fun.” He mouthed as she left.  He remained content to just hold his fiancé as he slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like I said there's some missing time but I just didn't have the inspiration when it was just me, so if anybody wants more I'll see if I can come up with something. I'll be posting another fic called "Nightmare", which deals with a snapshot of Ryan's mental recovery post-physical recovery, so keep an eye out for that. If you've read this far you're obviously interested in this timeline.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys liked it! I wrote this quite a while back, before I had an account, so there may be some errors. Let me know if I missed something in the tags.


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